


Book II: Brave New World (Preview)

by ProphecyGirl



Category: The 100 (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 22:10:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18787225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProphecyGirl/pseuds/ProphecyGirl
Summary: It's the end of the world (again) and everyone is looking for a way to survive.** This is just a preview of Book II. You can find the actual Book II here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18928021





	Book II: Brave New World (Preview)

 

 

 Lexa shut her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. Her fingers unconsciously twitched in her lap, and she felt Clarke slide her hand into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. A series of beeps sounded as the ship lurched sideways and then back, flinging them forward against the seat belts and then slamming them back into the wall again. Lexa's grip on Clarke's hand tightened as her stomach turned over on itself.

"No! No, no, no! Damn it!" Raven continued to let loose a string of extraordinarily creative obscenities and slammed her hand on the control panel when the alarm sounded, followed by the computer's voice.

**_"Warning. Warning. Brace for impact. Mission failed. Exterior damage: 100%. Cargo destruction: 100%. Fatality: 100%."_ **

Raven let out a frustrated scream and slapped the panel again before putting her face in her hands. Luna unbuckled her belt and scooted across the shuttle's curved seat to put her arms around her, murmuring soft words in her ear.

Lexa didn't even realize she'd been holding her breath until Clarke squeezed her hand again gently. Clarke quietly unbuckled both of their belts and helped a shaky Lexa to her feet. Clarke affectionately patted Luna's back as she helped Lexa out of the rocket and down the steps.

Murphy was laying on the floor with one arm bent behind his head and the other stuffing his face with some kind of chips from a silver bag. "Let me guess. Raven killed us all again?"

Clarke gave him a look as she escorted a traumatized-looking Lexa to the couch. "Shut up, Murphy." She sat next to Lexa, her hand on her back and rubbing her thigh lightly. "Hey.. It's gonna be okay. Raven will figure it out, she always does. She's the smartest person in any room."

Lexa looked up at her, her face still a little green. "Is that how it was when you came to the ground?"

Clarke shrugged a little. "It sucks for a minute, but it all happens really fast."

"Yeah. You don't even have time to puke more than once or twice." Murphy tossed a chip into the air, catching it expertly in his mouth.

Clarke glared at him over the back of the couch. "Could you be less helpful?"

Murphy seemed to consider it. "Probably, but to be fair I'm not trying that hard."

Clarke was looking for something to throw at him until Raven snapped from inside the rocket, "Murphy! Get your ass in here and bring me that journal."

Clarke watched with vague amusement as Murphy stood quickly. "Oh, so I get sass, but Raven gets results?"

Murphy shrugged as he grabbed the worn leather-bound journal from the table. "She scares me a lot more than you do." Off Clarke's raised eyebrow, he elaborated as he headed for the rocket. "I'm betting you don't know what chemicals to use to melt someone, and I'm betting she does." He pointed at her with the journal as Raven yelled his name again.

Clarke shook her head a little and turned back to Lexa, whose shaking was finally starting to ease. "By the time we actually go up—if we go up—the whole thing will be second nature for you. That's why we're doing the simulation ride-alongs, right?"

"Right." Lexa nodded and laced her fingers through hers, resting her head on her shoulder. "What is it like up there?"

Clarke smiled a little, running her nails comfortingly up and down Lexa's arm. "Pretty amazing. There's windows where you can look out, away from Earth, and all you see is this infinity of stars. It feels like you can reach out and touch the whole universe at once."

Lexa smiled, tracing her fingertips over her hand, circling her knuckles idly. "That's how it feels waking up to you."

Clarke's smile grew wider, and she kissed the top of her head softly. "You're such a cornball sometimes, Commander Snugglebutt."

Lexa smacked her thigh lightly. "I told you not to call me that in front of people."

"There's no people here. Just family." Lexa rolled her eyes, but she was smiling lightly as she curled against Clarke a little tighter.

Abby peeked around the corner just then. "Lexa, can I borrow you?"

"It's only been a couple hours since the last time," Clarke answered before Lexa could, her voice tightening.

Lexa gently pulled loose of Clarke's arms and stood, her voice soft. "It's okay, Clarke. I'm fine, and Becca agrees."

She watched with a funny expression as Abby led Lexa around and back into the lab, mumbling under her breath, "That's comforting."

Clarke couldn't exactly put her finger on why just yet, but she definitely was beginning to have concerns about Becca's level of interest in keeping Lexa alive. After all, Becca was the one who instituted _jus drein jus daun_ , who came up with _love is weakness_. Becca had handcrafted the society Lexa had turned onto its head.

If she really let herself think about it too hard, the only person Becca could theoretically want dead more than Lexa would be herself. And of course, Lexa dismissed those concerns and had recently started getting annoyed anytime Clarke brought it up. But what else could she expect? How could you convince someone that their own brain was lying to them?

Clarke just hoped she was wrong.


End file.
